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<blockquote data-quote="BSF" data-source="post: 1250678" data-attributes="member: 13098">Well, the levels are built to distribute the skill points and feats and features across all the hit dice the &quot;book&quot; lycanthrope would get.&nbsp; I don't recall the article in Dragon, but the template on the WotC site might be similiar. (If not identical.&nbsp; Did Sean K. Reynolds write the article?)&nbsp; On the WotC site, it is under Savage Progressions, or follow the link.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a" target="_blank">WotC Savage Progressions</a> I will comment based on the class templates listed there since I am at work and don't have Dragon with me.The lycanthropic templates listed there don't give you any of the normal level bonuses.&nbsp; They are simply representative of taking levels to handle your ECL.&nbsp; This provides a scalable approach so you could, in theory, start off with a 1st level were creature that didn't have a class.&nbsp; They could then choose to advance the template (sacrificing BAB, skills, feats, etc) or advance in a class.&nbsp; The addition of a progression to handle the underlying creature is another nice feature.&nbsp; That will give you BAB, skills, saves, and other features as well.&nbsp; In this manner, you could build a lycanthrope that would develop from level 1 onward.&nbsp; To really use the lycanthropic abilities, they would want to take all the template levels they could, as well as the animal levels.&nbsp; But, they could intersperse legitimate class levels in there as well.&nbsp; In this way, you could have a&nbsp; ftr1 with 2 levels of lycanthrope (wereboar) and 2 levels of boar.&nbsp; Which would be equivelant to a level 5 character.&nbsp; At level 6, the character might complete the boar template, the lycanthrope template, add a level of fighter, or any other option.&nbsp; Personally, I think it is kind of neat.&nbsp; Your concerns are valid in that a player might not like to give up BAB, save improvements and skills. But, how is this different from building a character and adding the ECL levels?&nbsp; After all, using a pure wereboar template is something like a ECL +6.&nbsp; So, you would need to be a 1st level fighter wereboar in a party of 7th level characters.&nbsp; Or you can mix and match your levels to what you are comfortable playing.&nbsp; The difference is that you can start with a lower level party if you are using template levels and you might not ever aspire to the top of the templates.&nbsp; As far as power differences go, 3.5 DR is pretty nice now.&nbsp; Your magic weapon no longer bypasses DR Silver.&nbsp; Sure, the bonuses help overcome the DR, but it doesn't bypass it.&nbsp; As well, most of the templates grant stat bonuses.&nbsp; If you don't mind my asking, how are you thinking of applying this in game? Perhaps more people will respond if you can give us an idea on what you are looking at doing.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="BSF, post: 1250678, member: 13098"] Well, the levels are built to distribute the skill points and feats and features across all the hit dice the "book" lycanthrope would get. I don't recall the article in Dragon, but the template on the WotC site might be similiar. (If not identical. Did Sean K. Reynolds write the article?) On the WotC site, it is under Savage Progressions, or follow the link. [URL=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a]WotC Savage Progressions[/URL] I will comment based on the class templates listed there since I am at work and don't have Dragon with me. The lycanthropic templates listed there don't give you any of the normal level bonuses. They are simply representative of taking levels to handle your ECL. This provides a scalable approach so you could, in theory, start off with a 1st level were creature that didn't have a class. They could then choose to advance the template (sacrificing BAB, skills, feats, etc) or advance in a class. The addition of a progression to handle the underlying creature is another nice feature. That will give you BAB, skills, saves, and other features as well. In this manner, you could build a lycanthrope that would develop from level 1 onward. To really use the lycanthropic abilities, they would want to take all the template levels they could, as well as the animal levels. But, they could intersperse legitimate class levels in there as well. In this way, you could have a ftr1 with 2 levels of lycanthrope (wereboar) and 2 levels of boar. Which would be equivelant to a level 5 character. At level 6, the character might complete the boar template, the lycanthrope template, add a level of fighter, or any other option. Personally, I think it is kind of neat. Your concerns are valid in that a player might not like to give up BAB, save improvements and skills. But, how is this different from building a character and adding the ECL levels? After all, using a pure wereboar template is something like a ECL +6. So, you would need to be a 1st level fighter wereboar in a party of 7th level characters. Or you can mix and match your levels to what you are comfortable playing. The difference is that you can start with a lower level party if you are using template levels and you might not ever aspire to the top of the templates. As far as power differences go, 3.5 DR is pretty nice now. Your magic weapon no longer bypasses DR Silver. Sure, the bonuses help overcome the DR, but it doesn't bypass it. As well, most of the templates grant stat bonuses. If you don't mind my asking, how are you thinking of applying this in game? Perhaps more people will respond if you can give us an idea on what you are looking at doing. [/QUOTE]

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